Dian Farmer Learning To Grow Our Own Food

  • Home
  • Beginner
  • Hydroponics
  • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vermicomposting
  • About Me
You are here: Home / Gardening / How To Rescue Over Watered Plants

How To Rescue Over Watered Plants

in Gardening on 01/05/23

Post may contain affiliate links. Click to read Disclosure . Click to read Privacy Policy.
Over Watered plants often lead to dead plants rather quickly, however, these 5 steps will save your plants from overwatering &  prevent it from happening again.

How To Rescue Over Watered Plants

As a gardener, we always want to keep our healthy plants well-nourished with a lot of sunshine and water. But, did you know it’s possible to kill a plant with too much love and attention?  

There are times when we get overzealous and end up watering more than your plant’s need. Then we end up reading about How To Rescue Over Watered Plants.

Over watering a plant is called waterlogging and it’s a pretty common reason garden plants wither and die. But, the good news is there are ways to rescue your well-loved flora and greenery from drowning.

Every plant in your garden has a unique moisture requirement. Perennial plants like irises can generally stand to be in the water for longer periods while succulents and cacti generally don’t need a lot of water to survive. The sooner you understand this, the better your chances are at growing a beautiful garden and keeping lovely plants indoors.

Today, we’ll be walk through How To Rescue an overwatered plant and how to avoid waterlogging. Let’s start!

What is Waterlogging?

Over Watered plants often lead to dead plants rather quickly, however, these 5 steps will save your plants from overwatering &  prevent it from happening again.

Waterlogging happens when the soil surrounding the roots of your plant become over saturated. In this situation, water does not drain fast enough which leads to rotted roots and, if not resolved, plant death.

It typically happens to plants during the rainy season when heavy downpours tend to flood outdoor gardens. However, waterlogging can also happen, and is much more common, in indoor plants since they’re prone to over watering.

You Might Also Like: How Much Soil Do I Need?

How Much Soil Do I Need_ (3)

Why is Waterlogging Bad for Your Plants?

A waterlogged plant is an unhappy plant. Too much water drowns and suffocates a plant’s roots. This makes them unable to exchange gases, absorb nutrients, and ironically, supply the rest of the plant with the amount water and food it needs to survive.

Bacteria, fungi, and algae may also grow in overly wet soil which can infect the whole plant, result in a foul odor, and eventually kill a plant in just a little over a week.

Carbon dioxide and ethylene gases may also build up in the soil which can mean bad news for the roots of your plants.

Moreover, waterlogged soil is prone to compaction and is naturally dense so water cannot escape easily. You cant your soil to be loose and able to drain and for your plants roots to be free to spread out and make a strong, healthy root system.

Clues That Your Plants Are Over Watered

Over Watered plants often lead to dead plants rather quickly, however, these 5 steps will save your plants from overwatering &  prevent it from happening again.

Overwatered plants aren’t completely a lost cause. The key is to know what to look for so you can strategize accordingly. There are several telltale signs of waterlogging in plants. Tips for How To Rescue Over Watered Plants include:

  • Your plant looks like it’s wilting even if it has plenty of water. The curious thing about waterlogging is that its symptoms often resemble that of under watering so be vigilant about this. You wouldn’t want to water an already drowning plant.
  • There are dead leaves or they start to become yellow and new growth are falling off. This is a result of nitrogen leaching out from the soil.
  • Alternatively, the leaves of a waterlogged plant may also exhibit brown spots, scorching, brown leaves, or leaf burn.
  • If a plant has absorbed too much water, it can also result in edema. Your plant may start exhibiting blisters or soaked spots as a result of waterlogging.
  • There may be a build-up of scum or some form of residue on the top of the soil.
  • ·The roots of the plant will be discolored, often turning black or dark brown.

Rescuing Waterlogged Plants

Over Watered plants often lead to dead plants rather quickly, however, these 5 steps will save your plants from overwatering &  prevent it from happening again.

Rescuing waterlogged plants is completely possible. However, depending on how much damage the overly wet soil has done, you might have to work a little harder to bring your plants back to life.

Step 1: Assess Your Plant

First step make sure you know the extent of the damage that excess moisture has done to your plant. Check for any discoloration or wilting on the plant as this will dictate the next steps you will take.

You should also check if water is pooling or if there is unusual growth on the soil surface

Step 2: Drain any Excess Water

If your plant is showing signs of yellowing on the leaf, remove any stagnant water your potted plant might be sitting in. It’s also important to check if the bottom of the pot and containers has good drainage holes so that enough water can escape.

You may also make sure that there are more air pockets in the soil so the plant roots can have additional air space to breathe. Slowly tilt the pot and tap gently to loosen the soil.

You Might Also Like: How to Amend Raised Garden Bed Soil For Growing Successfully

How to Amend Raised Garden Bed Soil For Growing Successfully (2)

Step 3: Check for Dying Roots and Leaves

Gently remove the plant from its pot and examine its roots. Healthy roots appear white while decaying roots are a darker color. Using sharp clippers, remove any damaged roots. Do the same for any decaying leaves.

Step 4: Re-Pot the Plants

After removing the plant from its previous pot, let it dry on top of a newspaper for up to 12 hours. After this, take a new pot, line it with a mesh, gravel, or pebbles and repot the plant with some new soil or potting mix.

You may discard the pot where waterlogging occurred or you may reuse it. Just be sure to treat it with water and bleach to get rid of any bacteria.

At this point, avoid using fertilizer until after the plant has recovered and is ready to absorb nutrients. Wait until you see new growth coming out.

Step 5: Use Fungicide

Check for any fungal disease or mold growth like mildew or black spots. If you find any, be sure to treat the soil with fungicide.

Preventing Waterlogging in the Future

Over Watered plants often lead to dead plants rather quickly, however, these 5 steps will save your plants from overwatering &  prevent it from happening again.

Here’s more good news for you: waterlogging is absolutely preventable.  You just need to practice appropriate watering techniques so your plants don’t become overly hydrated.

You don’t have to stick to a strict watering schedule for watering house plants. Only water them when needed. To check, look at the soil. If it looks dark and moist then leave it alone. If the soil looks dry and light in color, then you may go ahead and water the plant.

If you’d feel more conformable being told when the plant needs water – you may want to purchase an affordable meter, like the one I use:

Upgrade Soil Moisture Meter Sunlight PH Acidity 3-in-1 Soil Tester Kit for Garden Farm Lawn Planter (No Battery Needed)

During the rainy season, the best thing is to avoid watering your outdoor plants. Rainwater is usually enough to sustain them.

Finally, be sure to know the water requirements of the plants you have. Again, each plant is unique, so do your research. The more you know about the greenery you have, the better your chances are of avoiding waterlogging. If waterlogging is a recurring thing for your garden, you might want to switch to water-loving plants.

Final Words

The trick to having a lush home garden is knowing the proper water amount for your plants. But, even if you’ve had a waterlogging mishap, you can still save your beauties from decay. You just have to know what to look out for and How To Rescue Over Watered Plants.

I hope the tips we’ve shared above can help you revive waterlogged plants and prevent it from happening in the future.

Do you have other plant care tips you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Over Watered plants often lead to dead plants rather quickly, however, these 5 steps will save your plants from overwatering &  prevent it from happening again.

You can also find gardening products I use in my videos here <---

I now have an Amazon Influencer’s storefront. I put the products I use, in my posts and Youtube Gardening videos, there. Shopping there is free and the site gets a percentage of sales. Thanks!

You can go to my storefront using this secure link <----

If you need seeds, this is the company I use <--- and if you use code: farmer1 at checkout, you'll get 10% off your order!

2 Comments

« Biennial Plants, Perennial Crops, And More Gardening Terms Explained
Easy Raised Garden Beds »

Comments

  1. Daniel says

    January 26, 2022 at 4:19 pm

    First time here, thanks for all the valuable info.

    Reply
    • Dian says

      August 28, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      Daniel,

      Thank you for stopping by!

      Dian

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Hi! I'm Dian, a wife of 20+ years, Mom to 4 grown kids, and "Nana" to 5. I LOVE reality shows & vegetable gardening & talking about both. I am currently pursuing my Master Gardener Certification.... Read more about Dian & Learning To Grow Your Own Food.

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On PinterestCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram

What’s New Here:

Perennial Salvias (Sage) Care

Seed Starting Indoors: Must Have Seed Starting Supplies

Growing Mint

Tools Every Gardener Needs

Tools Used For Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide

Tips For Growing Vegetables And Herbs At Home

Vegetable Container Gardening Ideas For Indoor Or Outdoor Gardening

How To Re-Use Your Compost

Getting Started Vertical Gardening: Tools You’ll Need

Using Flowers As Natural Pest Control In The Garden

  • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Container Gardening
  • Hydroponic Gardening
  • Herb Gardening
  • Garden Pests
  • Shop

Copyright © 2023 · glam theme by Restored 316

© 2014 - 2020 Dian Farmer All Rights Reserved. No content on this site may be copied and reused in any form or fashion without express written permission. Privacy Policy

  • Disclosure Policy
  • PR Info And Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Me